Willis McGahee hardly broke a sweat primarily because he wasn't asked to do so.
The running back who leads the NFL in touchdowns with seven was used sparingly in the Ravens' shocking 17-14 loss Sunday to the visiting Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium.
McGahee carried the football just once for a loss of 2 yards and caught one pass for 4 yards. Asked whether he was surprised about his lack of activity, McGahee replied diplomatically: "I'm content with what's going on. I've got nothing to complain about."
But when pressed on the issue, McGahee acknowledged being a little confused about his role with the offense.
"I don't know what's going on," he said. "I was only in there for a little bit. You would think it would have been better than that, but it is what it is."
McGahee was quick to point out that Ray Rice's performance might have factored in the coaches' decisions. Against Cincinnati, Rice rushed for 69 yards on 14 carries and caught seven passes for a career-high 74 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown.
"He had the hot hand, so there really was no need to take him out," McGahee said. "He was doing a good job."
Still, the Ravens won their first three games of the season by mixing McGahee and Rice. In the team's victories, McGahee touched the ball 38 times for a combined 231 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. In the Ravens' past two games - both losses - McGahee has gotten eight touches for 26 yards and one score.
McGahee said he didn't have an answer for the decrease in playing time. "You'll have to talk to [offensive coordinator] Cam [Cameron] on that," he said.
Benson ends Ravens' streak
Adding insult upon insult, the Bengals' Cedric Benson became the first player in 40 games to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens.
Benson, who finished with 120 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, became the first running back to hit the century mark against the defense since the Kansas City Chiefs' Larry Johnson posted 120 yards on Dec. 10, 2006. (The Minnesota Vikings own the longest current streak: 28 contests without allowing a 100-yard rusher.)
"It definitely [stinks], especially for us as a D-line," defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said. "We take a lot of pride in it. It definitely stings a lot that he got a bunch of yards on us. We've got to fix it as a D-line."
